Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov:80/newsrels.htm
Technical information: (202) 606-6378 USDL 97-25
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: 606-5902 Thursday, January 30, 1997
EMPLOYEE TENURE IN THE MID-1990s
Among men, median tenure with their current employer fell between 1983
and 1996 in nearly every age group. The overall median for men remained
flat at 4.0 years, however, as the age distribution of employed men shifted
to older age groups, where workers have longer tenure. Median tenure for
women had changed little from 1983 to 1991, but was up slightly in 1996 to
3.5 years, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Information on tenure has been obtained periodically since the early
1950s from supplemental questions in the Current Population Survey (CPS),
the monthly survey of about 50,000 households that provides information on
employment, unemployment, earnings, demographics, and other characteristics
of the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over. The questions
on tenure that were asked prior to 1983 differ from those asked in more
recent surveys. As a result, this release focuses only on comparable data
from 1983 to 1996. (See the Explanatory Note.)
Demographic characteristics
Among men, median tenure (the point at which half the workers had more
tenure and half had less) was 4.0 years in February 1996, virtually
identical to the figures obtained in January of 1983, 1987, and 1991. (See
table 1.) Yet, since 1983, nearly every age group of men experienced a
decline in median tenure, with particularly sharp drops occurring among men
ages 45 to 54 and 55 to 64. During this period, the age of the workforce
generally shifted upward to older workers, who have longer tenure with
their current employers. For example, median tenure for 25- to 34-year-old
men was 3.0 years in February 1996, compared with 6.1 years for 35- to 44-
year-olds and 10.5 years for 55- to 64-year-olds. The shift in the age
distribution would, by itself, have raised median tenure; this age shift,
however, was counterbalanced by the decline in median tenure for men in
most age groups, leaving the overall median tenure for men essentially
unchanged.
Among women, overall median tenure rose between 1983 and 1996, with
nearly all of the gain taking place from 1991 to 1996. This increase was
partly due to substantial increases in median tenure among 35- to 44-year-
olds and 45- to 54-year-olds. In addition, as with men, the proportion of
employed women in the older, longer-tenured age groups rose.
In addition to trends in median tenure, it is useful also to examine
trends in the proportion of workers with relatively long tenure of 10 years
or more. The proportion of men who had worked for their current employer
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10 years or longer fell during the 1983-96 period, while the proportion of
women with such long tenure rose, as table 2 shows. (Workers ages 16 to 24
are excluded from table 2 because it is nearly impossible for these young
workers to have been with their current employer 10 years or longer.) The
decline in the proportion of men with such long tenure occurred in every
age group, except among men age 65 and over, for whom the proportion
remained stable during the 1983-96 period. Among women, the trend toward
rising proportions with long tenure occurred mainly among 40- to 54-year-
olds.
Table 3 provides more detailed information on the length of time workers
had been with their current employers in February 1996. Overall, about a
quarter of wage and salary workers had worked for their current employer 12
months or less. These include workers who had recently entered the
workforce, as well as workers who had changed employers in the previous
year. More than three-quarters of 16- to 19-year-olds had such short
tenure, as did over half of workers ages 20 to 24. By comparison, among 55-
to 64-year-olds, 11 percent had 12 months or less of tenure, while 29
percent had worked for their current employer 20 years or more.
Among women and men in nearly every age group, workers who do not have a
high school diploma have lower median tenure than those with more
education. (See table 4.) There appears to be little relationship between
tenure and educational attainment for workers who have a high school
diploma or higher level of education.
Industry
In February 1996, workers in mining had the highest median tenure, 6.1
years, of any major private-sector industry. (See table 5.) The median
for mining rose from 3.4 years in January 1983. Employment levels in
mining today are only half of their peak of the early 1980s. Little hiring
has occurred in the industry in recent years, and many lower-tenured
workers have lost their jobs, resulting in a large increase in median
tenure.
In manufacturing, median tenure was 5.4 years in February 1996, the same
as in January 1983. Within manufacturing, however, some industries
experienced sizable movements in median tenure. For example, workers in
motor vehicles and equipment had far less tenure with their employers in
1996 than in 1983; median tenure fell from 13.0 years in January 1983 to
7.8 years in February 1996. In aircraft and parts manufacturing, the
median rose from 6.4 years in 1983 to 9.8 years in 1996.
The median length of time that workers in finance, insurance, and real
estate had been with their current employer rose from 3.2 years in 1983 to
4.1 years in 1996. The services industry also experienced an increase in
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median tenure, from 2.5 years in 1983 to 3.0 years in 1996. Within
services, private education, social services, hospitals, other health
services, business services, and automobile and repair services all showed
substantial increases.
In transportation and public utilities, median tenure was 5.2 years in
February 1996, about half a year lower than the medians in 1983-91.
Wholesale and retail trade workers showed little change in their median
tenure, with retail trade continuing to have the lowest median, 1.9 years,
among the major private-sector industry groups. The median length of time
government employees had worked for their current employer rose from 5.8
years in 1983 to 6.9 years in 1996.
Data on tenure often have been used as a gauge of employment security,
with some observers regarding increases in tenure as a sign of improving
security and falling tenure as a sign of deteriorating security. There are
limitations to using the data in this way, however. For example, during
recessions or other periods of declining job security, median tenure and
the proportion of workers with long tenure could rise because less-senior
workers are more likely to lose their jobs than are workers with longer
tenure. During periods of economic growth, median tenure and the
proportion of workers with long tenure could fall because more job
opportunities are available for new entrants to the workforce and
experienced workers have more opportunities to change employers and take
better jobs. Tenure also could rise under improving economic conditions,
however, as fewer layoffs occur and good job matches develop between
workers and employers.
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| Revisions to 1983-91 Data on Median Tenure |
| Estimates of median tenure shown in this release for January of |
|1983, 1987, and 1991 have been revised from estimates previously |
|published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The method used to |
|compute median tenure was improved for the February 1996 data. |
|To facilitate historical comparisons, previously published medians|
|for 1983-91 were recalculated using the new method. As a result, |
|most estimates of median tenure for 1983-91 shown in this release |
|are approximately a half year lower than those previously |
|published. For additional information on these revisions and the |
|method used to calculate median tenure, see the Explanatory Note. |
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Explanatory Note
The data presented in this report were collected through a supplement to
the February 1996 Current Population Survey (CPS), the monthly survey of
about 50,000 households that provides information on employment,
unemployment, earnings, demographics, and other characteristics of the
nationís civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over. The
February 1996 CPS supplement obtained information on worker displacement
and on tenure. The data on worker displacement appear in the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) news release USDL 96-446, "Worker Displacement
During the Mid-1990s (Based on Revised Estimates)," issued on
October 25, 1996.
In the February 1996 supplement, questions on tenure were asked of all
employed persons. The first question was:
"How long have/has ... been working continuously for (fill in
name of present employer)?"
_____ Days
_____ Weeks
_____ Months
_____ Years
For responses of "1 year" or "2 years," a follow-up question asked:
"Could you please give the exact number of months?"
The purpose of the follow-up question was to obtain more precise
information on workers who had been with their current employer a
relatively short time. The CPS supplements that obtained information on
tenure in January of 1983, 1987, and 1991 included the first question but
not the follow-up question. In those surveys, responses of 1 year or more
could be coded only as the nearest full year, and responses of less than a
year were coded as the nearest full month.
Prior to January 1983, CPS supplements on tenure asked wage and salary
workers, "When did ... start working at your/his/her present job?" Self-
employed workers were asked, "When did ... start working at your/his/her
present business?" For wage and salary workers, the meaning of the term
"job" is ambiguous. For example, a worker who had been employed at a
particular company for 10 years and had been promoted to a managerial
position 1 year prior to the survey may have been counted as having 10
years or 1 year of tenure, depending on whether the respondent interpreted
the question to mean tenure with the current employer or tenure in the
managerial position. To rectify this ambiguity, the wording of the
question was changed in January 1983 to specify the length of time a worker
had been with his or her current employer. This change resulted in a break
in historical comparability.
Estimates of median tenure shown in this release for January of 1983,
1987, and 1991 have been revised from estimates previously published by
BLS. The questionnaire for the February 1996 CPS permitted more precise
coding of responses on the length of time workers had been with their
current employer than did previous surveys. For example, a response of "4
years and 10 months" in the February 1996 survey could be coded as 58
months. By comparison, in the January 1983, 1987, and 1991 surveys, such a
response would have required the CPS interviewer to round to the nearest
full year, 5 years in this example, when coding the response.
The algorithm previously used by BLS to calculate median tenure in the
1983, 1987, and 1991 surveys essentially ignored the effects of rounding
and treated the whole-year responses as if they were the minimum level of a
1-year tenure interval. For example, a response of 5 years was assumed to
mean any value that was at least 5 years and less than 6 years. In the
calculation of medians for the February 1996 survey, whole-year responses
were treated as the center, rather than the minimum, of a 1-year tenure
interval. Thus, a response of 5 years was assumed to mean at least 4.5
years and less than 5.5 years. This method takes advantage of the more
precise coding that was possible in the February 1996 survey. To
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facilitate historical comparisons, it was necessary to recalculate
previously published estimates of median tenure for 1983, 1987, and 1991
using the same algorithm that was used for the February 1996 data. The
effect of the revised method is that estimates of median tenure for 1983,
1987, and 1991 are now approximately a half year lower than previously
published estimates.
In the data from the February 1996 CPS, there was a small number of
cases in which responses to the questions on tenure were impossible or very
unlikely, with respect to the reported ages for those workers. In
tabulating the February 1996 data on tenure with current employer, BLS has
treated as a nonresponse any case in which age minus tenure is less than 14
years. BLS used the same editing procedure when tabulating tenure
estimates shown in this release for January of 1983 and 1987; this also
resulted in small revisions to some previously published estimates for
those years. This editing procedure was not used for the January 1991
survey because there were no cases in which a workerís age minus tenure was
less than 15 years.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory-impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-606-STAT; TDD phone:
202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-326-2577.
Table 1. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary
workers by age and sex, selected years, 1983-96
Age and sex January January January February
1983 1987 1991 1996
TOTAL
Total 16 years and over.................... 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.8
16 to 17 years........................... .7 .6 .7 .7
18 to 19 years........................... .8 .7 .8 .7
20 to 24 years........................... 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.2
25 years and over........................ 5.0 5.0 4.8 5.0
25 to 34 years......................... 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.8
35 to 44 years......................... 5.2 5.5 5.4 5.3
45 to 54 years......................... 9.5 8.8 8.9 8.3
55 to 64 years......................... 12.2 11.6 11.1 10.2
65 years and over...................... 9.6 9.5 8.1 8.4
Men
Total 16 years and over.................... 4.1 4.0 4.1 4.0
16 to 17 years........................... .7 .6 .7 .6
18 to 19 years........................... .8 .7 .8 .7
20 to 24 years........................... 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.2
25 years and over........................ 5.9 5.7 5.4 5.3
25 to 34 years......................... 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.0
35 to 44 years......................... 7.3 7.0 6.5 6.1
45 to 54 years......................... 12.8 11.8 11.2 10.1
55 to 64 years......................... 15.3 14.5 13.4 10.5
65 years and over...................... 8.3 8.3 7.0 8.3
Women
Total 16 years and over.................... 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.5
16 to 17 years........................... .7 .6 .7 .7
18 to 19 years........................... .8 .7 .8 .7
20 to 24 years........................... 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.2
25 years and over........................ 4.2 4.3 4.3 4.7
25 to 34 years......................... 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.7
35 to 44 years......................... 4.1 4.4 4.5 4.8
45 to 54 years......................... 6.3 6.8 6.7 7.0
55 to 64 years......................... 9.8 9.7 9.9 10.0
65 years and over...................... 10.1 9.9 9.5 8.4
NOTE: Data for 1996 are not strictly comparable with data for 1991 and earlier years
because the 1996 data incorporate population controls from the 1990 census, adjusted for
the estimated undercount. Figures for the 1983-91 period are based on population
controls from the 1980 census. Also, the 1996 figures incorporate the effects of the
redesign of the Current Population Survey introduced in January 1994. Data exclude the
incorporated and unincorporated self-employed.
Table 2. Percent of employed wage and salary workers 25 years and over who had 10 years
or more of tenure with their current employer by age and sex, selected years, 1983-96
Age and sex January January January February
1983 1987 1991 1996
TOTAL
Total, 25 years and over................... 31.9 30.7 32.2 30.5
25 to 29 years........................... 3.3 4.1 5.1 2.8
30 to 34 years........................... 16.9 16.9 19.3 14.7
35 to 39 years........................... 29.9 29.6 31.1 26.9
40 to 44 years........................... 38.1 38.7 39.3 36.1
45 to 49 years........................... 46.5 45.2 46.5 44.5
50 to 54 years........................... 53.5 51.8 51.4 50.4
55 to 59 years........................... 59.3 57.6 56.7 54.0
60 to 64 years........................... 59.8 55.9 55.4 51.5
65 years and over........................ 50.9 50.1 46.3 47.4
Men
Total, 25 years and over................... 37.7 35.0 35.9 33.1
25 to 29 years........................... 4.0 4.5 5.7 3.3
30 to 34 years........................... 18.7 18.7 21.1 15.6
35 to 39 years........................... 36.9 34.8 35.6 30.5
40 to 44 years........................... 51.1 48.5 46.3 41.7
45 to 49 years........................... 57.8 53.0 53.5 50.8
50 to 54 years........................... 62.3 59.4 58.5 54.9
55 to 59 years........................... 66.2 63.2 61.0 55.7
60 to 64 years........................... 65.6 58.7 57.5 50.4
65 years and over........................ 47.6 47.4 42.6 47.6
Women
Total, 25 years and over................... 24.9 25.7 28.2 27.6
25 to 29 years........................... 2.5 3.6 4.4 2.2
30 to 34 years........................... 14.8 14.7 17.3 13.6
35 to 39 years........................... 21.6 23.8 26.1 22.9
40 to 44 years........................... 23.4 27.9 32.0 30.4
45 to 49 years........................... 33.0 36.4 39.3 38.1
50 to 54 years........................... 42.5 43.0 43.4 45.8
55 to 59 years........................... 51.0 50.8 51.4 52.1
60 to 64 years........................... 52.6 52.4 53.1 52.7
65 years and over........................ 54.5 53.1 49.9 47.2
NOTE: Data for 1996 are not strictly comparable with data for 1991 and earlier years
because the 1996 data incorporate population controls from the 1990 census, adjusted for
the estimated undercount. Figures for the 1983-91 period are based on population
controls from the 1980 census. Also, the 1996 figures incorporate the effects of the
redesign of the Current Population Survey introduced in January 1994. Data exclude the
incorporated and unincorporated self-employed.
Table 3. Distribution of employed wage and salary workers by tenure with current employer, age, sex, race, and
Hispanic origin, February 1996
Percent distribution by tenure with current employer
Number
Age, sex, race, and employed
Hispanic origin (in thousands) 12 13 to 3 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 15 to 20
Total months 23 2 years years years 14 19 years
or less months years years or more
TOTAL
Total, 16 years and
over................ 110,281 100.0 26.0 8.5 4.8 15.2 19.8 10.0 6.8 9.0
16 to 19 years....... 5,749 100.0 77.6 11.8 5.5 5.0 .2 - - -
20 years and over.... 104,531 100.0 23.1 8.3 4.8 15.8 20.8 10.5 7.1 9.5
20 to 24 years..... 11,468 100.0 52.2 14.1 8.9 18.3 6.3 .1 - -
25 to 34 years..... 29,474 100.0 29.5 10.8 5.7 20.3 24.7 7.8 1.2 (1)
35 to 44 years..... 30,316 100.0 17.9 7.4 4.3 14.9 24.2 14.3 11.3 5.8
45 to 54 years..... 21,330 100.0 13.0 5.1 3.0 12.1 20.0 13.5 11.1 22.3
55 to 64 years..... 9,398 100.0 10.6 4.6 2.7 11.0 18.0 12.2 12.0 28.9
65 years and over.. 2,545 100.0 13.0 5.1 3.4 11.8 19.3 13.1 7.4 26.9
Men
Total, 16 years and
over................ 57,291 100.0 25.1 8.0 4.7 15.1 19.1 10.0 6.9 11.0
16 to 19 years....... 2,932 100.0 77.3 9.9 6.8 5.8 .2 - - -
20 years and over.... 54,359 100.0 22.3 7.9 4.6 15.6 20.2 10.6 7.3 11.6
20 to 24 years..... 5,979 100.0 52.7 13.2 8.2 19.1 6.6 .2 - -
25 to 34 years..... 15,779 100.0 28.2 10.0 5.8 20.8 25.3 8.3 1.5 (1)
35 to 44 years..... 15,756 100.0 16.3 7.0 3.8 14.0 23.1 15.7 13.0 7.1
45 to 54 years..... 10,712 100.0 11.9 4.6 2.6 10.7 17.7 12.3 11.0 29.3
55 to 64 years..... 4,846 100.0 10.3 5.3 3.0 10.6 17.0 10.0 9.4 34.4
65 years and over.. 1,287 100.0 12.2 5.8 3.1 14.6 16.7 12.4 5.7 29.5
Women
Total, 16 years and
over................ 52,989 100.0 27.0 9.0 4.9 15.4 20.5 9.9 6.6 6.8
16 to 19 years....... 2,817 100.0 77.9 13.7 4.0 4.2 .2 - - -
20 years and over.... 50,172 100.0 24.1 8.7 5.0 16.0 21.6 10.4 7.0 7.2
20 to 24 years..... 5,489 100.0 51.7 15.0 9.8 17.4 6.0 .1 - -
25 to 34 years..... 13,695 100.0 30.9 11.6 5.7 19.7 24.0 7.2 .9 -
35 to 44 years..... 14,561 100.0 19.6 7.8 4.7 15.9 25.5 12.7 9.5 4.4
45 to 54 years..... 10,617 100.0 14.1 5.5 3.3 13.5 22.3 14.8 11.3 15.2
55 to 64 years..... 4,551 100.0 11.0 3.9 2.4 11.4 19.1 14.5 14.8 23.1
65 years and over.. 1,258 100.0 13.9 4.3 3.8 8.9 22.0 13.8 9.2 24.2
White
16 years and over...... 93,294 100.0 25.7 8.8 4.7 15.0 19.7 10.1 7.0 9.1
Men.................. 49,158 100.0 24.7 8.3 4.5 14.7 19.1 10.2 7.1 11.3
Women................ 44,136 100.0 26.9 9.2 4.9 15.3 20.4 9.9 6.8 6.6
Black
16 years and over...... 12,460 100.0 26.7 6.2 4.9 15.8 20.2 10.3 6.1 9.7
Men.................. 5,785 100.0 27.4 5.3 5.2 16.5 19.4 9.6 6.3 10.3
Women................ 6,675 100.0 26.2 6.9 4.6 15.2 21.0 11.0 5.9 9.2
Hispanic origin
16 years and over...... 10,504 100.0 29.7 9.1 5.5 19.0 20.4 8.0 4.2 4.1
Men.................. 6,304 100.0 30.2 9.2 4.6 19.6 19.9 7.1 4.5 4.8
Women................ 4,200 100.0 29.0 9.1 6.9 18.1 21.0 9.2 3.6 3.1
1 Less than 0.05 percent.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the
"other races" groups are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population
groups. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Data exclude the incorporated and unincorporated
self-employed.
Table 4. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers 25 years and over by age, sex, and
educational attainment, February 1996
College graduates
Less than High Some
Age and sex Total a high school college, Associate
school graduates, no degree degree Bachelor's Master's Doctoral or
diploma no college Total degree degree professional
degree
TOTAL
Total, 25 years and
over................ 5.0 4.3 5.3 4.7 4.9 5.0 4.6 6.1 5.2
25 to 34 years....... 2.8 2.2 3.1 2.6 3.3 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.0
35 to 44 years....... 5.3 3.9 5.5 5.1 5.6 5.7 5.7 5.8 5.7
45 to 54 years....... 8.3 7.0 8.4 8.1 7.2 9.4 8.6 10.1 9.2
55 to 64 years....... 10.2 8.7 10.5 9.5 9.0 12.2 12.1 12.9 11.2
65 years and over.... 8.4 7.9 8.3 7.2 7.3 11.0 11.1 8.5 20.0
Men
Total, 25 years and
over................ 5.3 4.5 5.8 5.0 5.5 5.3 5.0 6.1 5.8
25 to 34 years....... 3.0 2.5 3.3 2.8 3.4 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.1
35 to 44 years....... 6.1 4.2 6.8 6.0 6.5 6.2 6.3 5.9 6.0
45 to 54 years....... 10.1 8.5 11.0 9.3 11.0 10.0 10.0 10.4 8.7
55 to 64 years....... 10.5 8.5 12.2 9.2 8.6 12.1 12.3 10.4 15.0
65 years and over.... 8.3 6.9 7.6 6.9 11.8 11.3 10.4 9.9 20.9
Women
Total, 25 years and
over................ 4.7 4.0 5.0 4.4 4.6 4.7 4.3 6.0 4.2
25 to 34 years....... 2.7 1.7 2.8 2.4 3.2 2.6 2.7 2.7 1.9
35 to 44 years....... 4.8 3.4 4.7 4.5 5.1 5.3 5.2 5.7 5.1
45 to 54 years....... 7.0 5.3 6.9 7.4 5.3 8.2 7.2 9.8 9.9
55 to 64 years....... 10.0 8.9 9.7 9.6 9.5 12.2 11.8 14.9 7.1
65 years and over.... 8.4 9.5 9.2 7.4 6.0 10.1 13.1 7.9 10.4
NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated and unincorporated self-employed.
Table 5. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers
by industry, selected years, 1983-96
Industry January January January February
1983 1987 1991 1996
Total, 16 years and over.............................. 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.8
Agriculture.............................................. 2.2 2.4 2.6 3.4
Nonagricultural industries............................... 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.8
Government............................................. 5.8 6.5 6.5 6.9
Private industries..................................... 3.2 3.0 3.2 3.3
Mining............................................... 3.4 6.1 5.8 6.1
Construction......................................... 2.0 2.0 2.6 2.9
Manufacturing........................................ 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.4
Durable goods(1)................................... 5.6 6.0 5.8 5.3
Lumber and wood products......................... 4.0 3.2 3.6 3.3
Furniture and fixtures........................... 4.2 3.2 4.0 4.2
Stone, clay, and glass products.................. 7.0 6.8 6.3 5.1
Primary metal industries......................... 10.0 10.2 9.7 8.1
Fabricated metal products........................ 5.7 5.5 5.5 5.1
Machinery and computing equipment................ 5.8 6.7 5.9 5.2
Electrical machinery, equipment, and supplies.... 4.7 4.8 5.5 4.9
Transportation equipment(1)...................... 8.8 8.0 7.6 8.3
Motor vehicles and equipment................... 13.0 11.2 11.7 7.8
Aircraft and parts............................. 6.4 6.8 6.3 9.8
Professional and photographic equipment and
watches............................................... 4.7 5.9 5.1 5.1
Toys, amusements, and sporting goods............. 3.6 5.8 3.2 2.7
Nondurable goods(1)................................ 5.1 4.9 4.7 5.4
Food and kindred products........................ 5.2 4.4 4.2 5.1
Textile mill products............................ 7.0 7.0 5.6 5.4
Apparel and other finished textile products...... 3.8 3.2 3.8 3.8
Paper and allied products........................ 7.6 8.6 7.6 8.4
Printing and publishing.......................... 3.2 3.2 3.5 4.3
Chemicals and allied products.................... 7.0 7.2 5.7 6.9
Petroleum and coal products...................... 6.0 11.7 8.4 10.3
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products....... 5.4 4.4 4.7 4.7
Transportation and public utilities.................. 5.8 5.7 5.8 5.2
Transportation..................................... 4.6 3.9 4.2 4.1
Communications and other public utilities.......... 8.3 8.4 9.9 8.2
Wholesale trade...................................... 3.8 3.7 3.4 3.9
Retail trade......................................... 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.9
Finance, insurance, and real estate.................. 3.2 3.0 3.4 4.1
Banking and other finance.......................... 3.3 3.1 3.6 3.9
Insurance and real estate.......................... 3.0 2.9 3.2 4.2
Services(1).......................................... 2.5 2.5 2.7 3.0
Private households................................. 1.8 1.7 1.9 2.3
Services, except private households................ 2.5 2.5 2.7 3.0
Business services................................ 1.5 1.6 1.8 2.0
Automobile and repair services................... 2.3 2.0 2.2 2.9
Personal services, except private households..... 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.3
Entertainment and recreation services............ 1.8 1.8 2.3 1.9
Hospitals........................................ 3.5 4.6 4.2 5.2
Health services, except hospitals................ 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.9
Educational services............................. 2.7 3.1 3.5 3.8
Social services.................................. 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.8
Other professional services...................... 2.9 2.8 3.3 3.5
1 Includes other industries, not shown separately.
NOTE: Data for 1996 are not strictly comparable with data for 1991 and earlier years
because the 1996 data incorporate population controls from the 1990 census, adjusted for the
estimated undercount. Figures for the 1983-91 period are based on population controls from
the 1980 census. Also, the 1996 figures incorporate the effects of the redesign of the
Current Population Survey introduced in January 1994. Data exclude the incorporated and
unincorporated self-employed.